Amygdala-frontal connectivity during emotion regulation

Successful control of affect partly depends on the capacityto modulate negative emotional responses through the use ofcognitive strategies (i.e., reappraisal). Recent studies suggestthe involvement of frontal cortical regions in the modulationof amygdala reactivity and the mediation of effective emotionregulation. However, within-subject inter-regional connectivitybetween amygdala and prefrontal cortex in the context of affectregulation is unknown. Here, using psychophysiological interactionanalyses of functional magnetic resonance imaging data, we showthat activity in specific areas of the frontal cortex (dorsolateral,dorsal medial, anterior cingulate, orbital) covaries with amygdalaactivity and that this functional connectivity is dependenton the reappraisal task. Moreover, strength of amygdala couplingwith orbitofrontal cortex and dorsal medial prefrontal cortexpredicts the extent of attenuation of negative affect followingreappraisal. These findings highlight the importance of functionalconnectivity within limbic-frontal circuitry during emotionregulation.